November reading… well, it’s been another crappy month chez Puzzle Doctor with work getting on top of me and having a rubbish cold for the past few days. Thankfully, I’ve been spared the dreaded COVID so far, but this cold was bad enough, so if it can continue to spare me, I would appreciate it.

Eight books isn’t a bad turnover, but it was heavily weighted towards the front of the month, so it’s felt like a bad month, even if it wasn’t. Anyway, on with the review of the month.

The books were:

• Look Alive by Miles Burton – a very entertaining murder mystery concerning who exactly is dead and who killed them.
• The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves – a strong Vera title, although lacking in fair-play clueing.
• The Midnight Lock by Jeffery Deaver – the return of Lincoln Rhyme with the detective – and the author – on top form.
• The Willing Witness by Belton Cobb – Cheviot Burmann falls in love in a fun, if not outstanding, title.
• The World Cup Mystery by Peter Bartram – another fun outing for Colin Crampton of the Brighton Chronicle.
• Bodies From The Library 4 ed. Tony Medawar – another top notch collection of long-lost Golden Age mysteries.
• Trouble A-Brewing by John Bude – death in a brewery in a book asking for a British Library reprint.
• The Village Of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo – a new translation of this classic honkaku.

Not going to beat around the bush – book of the month is The Midnight Lock, a fine return for one of my favourite modern sleuths. Many thanks to Jeffery Deaver for bringing him back and I look forward to his next outing.